


There's Got to Be A Morning After

by Thecsquirrel



Series: Is There A Doctor in the House? [2]
Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: F/F, Fluffy Angst, Mutual Pining, interruptions, this is an epilogue of sorts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2019-01-27 21:39:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12591108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thecsquirrel/pseuds/Thecsquirrel
Summary: An Epilogue to "Doctor's Orders".Chloe and Nadine finally deal with those whispered confessions after a good night's rest.





	There's Got to Be A Morning After

**Author's Note:**

> True story:  
> I'm always amazed at how a story starts in one place and then goes to five different places. It's possible I took a wrong turn at Albuquerque (I know I did), but I ended up trying to weave these vines together nonetheless. At the end of the day, I can't quite quit these two, so hopefully this is worthwhile fluffy little thing to add to this happy Universe. Cheers!
> 
> As usual, mistakes are all mine!

Surprisingly, it was Chloe who awakened from her narcotic-aided sleep first. The late morning sun was just edging through the curtains, gauzy yellow sunlight dappling the slats of the hardwood visible underneath the patterned area rug. Her sleep had been deep and restful and were it not for the tingling in her left arm she probably would've stayed asleep. As it was, her left arm was trapped beneath her still sleeping companion and by the insistent prick of the needling sensation in her arm, her circulation was suffering for it.

She looked down at her current position and let her lips curve into a tender smile, as she blinked open her eyes fully. The messy curls of Nadine's haphazardly gathered bun greeted her first and then she leaned her head back to take in her positioning with clear eyes. Her right arm was still wrapped around Nadine's stomach, resting comfortably on the exposed skin between her tank top -that had ridden up in the night- and the thick logo-branded waistband of her dark boyshorts. Acting as the big spoon for once, Chloe was snug against the other woman's back. Ever in a mode of protection even in her sleep, Nadine had drawn up her legs, bending at the knees, perhaps in a subconscious effort to protect Chloe's damaged ankle. 

Chloe grinned and didn't even give a second thought before she pressed a soft kiss to Nadine's bare shoulder. The other woman barely stirred. Since the gentle approach wasn't successful, Chloe began the careful work of easing her arm out from beneath the other woman without waking her. It took probably longer than necessary, but Chloe finally freed her arm. She let out a relieved sigh as the blood flowed freely through her veins Whether it was her movement or the soft sigh, Nadine seemed to register the movement even in her sleep. 

With an amused smile, Chloe just watched as Nadine's reached an arm out only to connect with the sheets. Dark brows creased and Nadine rolled left, and as if drawn by an invisible tether, she nestled into Chloe's warm body without even disturbing her sleep pattern. Curly brown hair tickled Chloe's chin as Nadine's head rested in the crook of her neck. A strong arm wrapped around her middle and kept her wrapped leg at angle, so it didn't collide with Nadine. Chloe counted these moments rare when she was this close to Nadine without the smell of death and dirt surrounding them or the threat of inevitable danger, so she let her eyes linger over the relaxed features of Nadine's face. 

For the moment, she was content to study the haphazard pattern of freckles that ran across the bridge of her nose and lightly dusted well-defined check bones under her eyes. Without fail, gray eyes eventually tracked to the dark brown, nearly black mole, on the top of her lip. From this close, she could also see its toffee brown counterpart on the bottom of her chin. From there, in the safety of Nadine's apparent sleep, she let her eyes travel up and down deep red-brown of the scar that marred the otherwise unblemished column of her neck. Chloe marveled at the discolored flesh that started near Nadine's right jugular and sliced downward on a path toward her collarbone. With just her eyes, she quietly examined the scar that came to an abrupt stop right at the pronounced muscle along Nadine's throat before starting again at her clavicle. In her head, she had imagined all manner of stories, from the most horrific of hazing rituals to the most mundane result of bad footing and landing on something sharp. Chloe had to chuckle at that one because the idea of Nadine Ross ever being clumsy enough to trip over her own two feet seemed as ridiculous as Chloe ever having a bonafide plan that she could stick to. 

The bicep around Chloe's middle flexed and she knew then that Nadine was probably just on the edges of sleep. Chloe's arms were now caught between both their bodies. "I can't actually believe you're awake." Nadine's sleep-laced voice rumbled against the hollow of Chloe's throat. 

"Well, someone was crushing my arm." She meant it as a joke, but she felt Nadine tense none the less and begin to move in an attempt to sit up. Chloe quickly snaked her arm out and slung it around the other woman's waist. "Don't you dare move, Nadine." A breath went by and she felt the tension leave Nadine's body once she settled back down. 

Nadine moved back a bit, so that her head rested on her pillow, allowing her to meet Chloe's eyes. "How do you feel?" She made brief eye contact with before looking away and focusing on Chloe's exposed collarbone peeking out from her v-neck shirt. 

Chloe squinted her eyes, grinned, and then titled her head. "Kinda' feel like you might've had a point about the Percocet and scotch." It was an easy admission for her to make, considering that the woman in her arms had willingly put up with her inane requests and seemed nonplussed by her neediness. The truth was, she could have survived without Nadine, but she would have been a fool not to realize that just because she could, didn't mean she would. 

Brown eyes opened wide in surprise and Nadine smirked. "Hmm. So, I had a good idea, huh?" Her words were teasing as she addressed the running joke between them.

The exposed skin on Nadine’s hip was ripe for pinching. "I never said you didn't have good ideas." She drew out the word good. "Mine are just better," she added with cheeky grin. Nadine laughed out loud at that before dancing her fingers along Chloe's ribs and eliciting a squeak of laughter from the other woman. "No, fair," Chloe said through a laugh. "I'm injured here." 

Nadine quickly snatched back her hand and glanced down at Chloe's wrapped ankle. She grimaced. "Shit, I'm sorry."

Chloe let out a small sigh before grabbing Nadine's hand and stretching her arm back across her hip. She angled her head down until she could meet Nadine's worried brown eyes. "I didn't say let me go." There was no laughter in the early morning husk of her voice. 

Gold-brown eyes glanced away and found the generic striped pattern on the top sheet suddenly interesting. She could feel the heat gathering in the tips of her ears as her heartbeat sped up a bit. A morning laugh had suddenly taken a turn down the one-lane-bridge-out-highway that Nadine knew she was going to have to cross at some point. 

Chloe trapped her bottom lip between her teeth as she regarded the woman still snuggled up against her. She could see the stages of emotions pass over Nadine's usually subdued facial expressions. The gestures were near microscopic, but she noticed the way brown eyes darted down, saw the pulse jump in her neck, felt the stiffness in her spine, and the small lines that appeared on her brow. Chloe would never suggest that Nadine was scared of something, for if the last few months together proved anything, it was that Nadine was nearly unflappable; however, she could see the concern fall across her features. Admittedly, it gave rise to a bloom of hesitation in the pit of her stomach. 

Had she been wrong? Had she overestimated what she thought were signs of affection?  
Obviously, they were friends. And clearly, they were partners. They had established trust and mutual affection while tumbling through the magnificent ruins of a lost city, with a pachyderm chauffer to seal the deal. Chloe prided herself on being able to read situations and people, and while the enigmatic former mercenary was sometimes like hieroglyphics without the legend, she felt like she had a good grasp on the other woman - well, at least in regard to her strategies and her thought process. 

Efficient, practiced, and pragmatic. Those were the words that described Nadine. A woman who whole-heartedly believed that the fastest way to someplace was a straight line, and if there wasn't a straight line, then she would make one. She didn't waste bullets and she didn't waste her words. Nadine would cut her losses if the odds weren't in her favor, but if all the signs were go, she was a controlled demolition. 

A thin line formed in the space between Chloe's black eyebrows, as a quiet descended upon the room. So close to the woman that their foreheads nearly touched, Chloe was unsure of the expression on the other woman's face. While Nadine had not attempted to take her arm from around Chloe's waist, she still had yet to look up and meet her eyes. With her arm still draped across the span of Nadine's back, she could feel the deep breath that Nadine took. Once and then twice. Chloe bit down gently into her lip to keep herself from speaking and potentially interrupting whatever the other woman was gearing up to say. 

Nadine let go of a soft exhale and she finally looked up with clear and focused brown eyes. With the filtered sunlight at her back, Nadine's eyes were a warm deep brown and they bored into Chloe's gray eyes and dared her to look away. As the quiet moment passed between them, Chloe realized that if ever she needed to know the truth of her partner, she would find it in her eyes. Perhaps Nadine's words would fail her, but her eyes never would. Chloe kept her smile at bay, so her moment of epiphany didn't overshadow whatever Nadine wanted to say. How she had ever doubted or even wondered about Nadine's feelings seemed ludicrous to her now. The last few days, though seemingly, a total whirlwind of hazy drug induced movie marathoning, weren't without some revelations. The most paramount being that if this partnership was going to last then they were going to have to be honest about what was happening between them. The familiar look on Nadine's face told Chloe everything she needed to know. It was the look Nadine had given her in India when she had realized that Chloe was willing to sacrifice herself to stop Assav. And it was the same look that she saw cross Nadine's face when she had pulled her to safety in Myanmar. 

Chloe's gray eyes softened as she waited. Nadine's tongue peeked out to lick her lips and she took another breath. The former mercenary was still calculating. Chloe was desperate to be patient, but she could see the affection dancing in brown eyes and the only thing she wanted to do was reward them both with the knowledge that she wanted this as much as Nadine did. She'd give her another minute or at least thirty seconds. 

Nadine finally opened her mouth to speak and she only took in a halting breath. In a tender show of encouragement, Chloe ran her thumb along Nadine's spine as she watched the other woman wrestle with her nerves. Fifteen seconds was enough time. "Just say it," came the quiet demand. Not that it was really a demand, but more a gentle coaxing.

A small grin made the dimple in her cheek pop briefly, as Nadine slowly blinked. This time she easily met Chloe's eyes. "What if I'm wrong?" The admission was whispered. 

Now, Chloe smirked and tilted her head down, so that her nose briefly bumped against Nadine's. "You're not wrong." That elicited a real smile from Nadine. 

Nadine glanced at Chloe's lips before finding her eyes once more. Strong hands gripped Chloe's waist more firmly and Nadine opened her mouth to speak. "I just- I guess I just want you to know- 

Her words stopped mid-sentence as the loud shrill sound of a ringing telephone interrupted the pregnant pause. She furrowed her brow in confusion when she realized the incessant sound grew louder and was emanating from the top of the dresser across the room.

Chloe rolled her eyes and proceeded to pull Nadine closer. "I'm sure it's my mother or something, she'll call back. You were saying?" 

Nadine couldn't help but grin at the eagerness in Chloe's voice. "I need you to know that I trust you with my life." Chloe just nodded. "I'd follow you into a cave full of zombies, if that's what you wanted."

Chloe chuckled and pressed a tiny kiss to Nadine's nose. "That is definitely not on my bucket list, but that's good to know."

Nadine swatted playfully at Chloe's hip. "I just mean that not a lot scares me...but this - this does." 

Chloe dropped her smile and met Nadine's serious eyes. Both women were still laying on their sides facing one another, with their arms still loosely around each other. Chloe removed her hand from Nadine's back and reached up to run long fingers along Nadine's jaw. She eventually cupped the other woman's cheek. "I know you expect a witty come back here, but the truth is, I'm just as scared as you are."

Nadine's face took on a pensive expression and then the sound of the phone cut across her train of thought.  
Chloe let out a frustrated growl. "Oh, come on! Who is even calling me?!"

Nadine looked over Chloe's shoulder toward the dresser. "Eish, I think it's mine." Her shoulders sagged.

Chloe dropped her hand from Nadine's cheek and collapsed onto her back in huff. "Fine, go get it." She pouted and folded her arms across her chest for good measure as Nadine sat up and swung her legs off the bed. "And if that's Sam Drake, then you have my complete blessing to shoot him in the kneecaps."

Nadine stood and then looked back at Chloe with a devilish smirk on her lips. "Ja?"

"Fucking, Ja!" They both laughed and Nadine grabbed the phone off the dresser.

The number seemed familiar, but she was unsure. "' 'Lo?"

Chloe looked over at Nadine, fully intending to ogle her as she stood at the dresser in nothing but her underwear and a tank top. "That better be the damn Pope," Chloe grumbled under her breath as she watched Nadine's eyebrow arch in question. In the next moment, she was moving towards the bed and holding out the phone. "What's up?"

"It's Elena. You're phone's dead apparently." She shrugged a shoulder. Nadine pulled at one of the curls in her messy bun and slightly regretted not braiding her hair the night before, but then she looked over at a suddenly smiling Chloe in the bed and remembered she didn't care. 

"Hey there, sunshine!" Chloe's toothy grin spread across her face as she pushed up on her arms and sat back against her pillows.

Nadine stopped in the middle of pulling up a pair of loose gray track pants and turned her head quizzically in Chloe's direction. The tinge of jealously was completely irrational, but the genuine care and happiness in the other woman's voice in response to Elena, was one that she only really heard directed at her. Three months in and Nadine was becoming resigned to the fact that she would never ever really be rid of the Drakes. And while her relationship with Sam had reached a level of tolerable civility, she couldn't say the same for Nathan. Nadine wasnt' foolish enough to think that she could be partners with the cocksure thief and never encounter the Brothers Drake again, but Chloe couldn't fault her for still being a bit wary. Elena on the other hand didn't come with the same baggage. The two women had exchanged pleasantries on the phone in the last couple of months and according to Chloe, Elena was as good as they came. By the way Chloe laughed into the phone, she didn't doubt that assessment.

Chloe took a deep breath after laughing and finally caught sight of Nadine as she pulled on a pair of pants. She furrowed her brow in question as she saw something akin to annoyance flash across brown skin. The corner of Chloe's mouth twitched in the start of a small smile. Surely, Nadine wasn't jealous she thought to herself. Chloe patted the bed with her free hand and Nadine nodded her head in the direction of the bathroom before walking off.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Elena asked. 

Chloe smirked in response. She couldn't decide if Elena was hopeful or worried about the prospect of interrupting. "Give me another twenty-minutes and I'll let you know," was Chloe's response. Unlike Elena, the innuendo was clear and caused the woman on the other end of the line to laugh.

"Well at least that answers my question about whether you were okay. I expected you back from Myanmar days ago."

"Aww, you were worried. That's sweet." She beamed. "And no worries, Nadine is a damn saint." Chloe glanced up as Nadine exited the bath room looking more awake and with hair that was brushed back into a much neater ponytail. She patted the bed once more. 

Nadine stopped at the sound of her name and stood by the foot of bed. Her biceps were on display as she crossed her arms. She watched as Chloe patted the bed once more. Raised eyebrows were her only response. 

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Hang on a second." She put the phone on her shoulder. "I thought you were coming back." Her bottom lip was bordering on pouting.

Nadine refused to smile. "Take your phone call."

Chloe narrowed her eyes at the woman standing at the foot of the bed with her arms folded almost defensively across her chest. They had been a hairsbreadth away from a revelatory momentary and she could practically see Nadine second guessing herself. Chloe took a breath and decided to forgo that faux-petulance. She looked at Nadine with her most sincere lopsided grin. "Don't go far, ok. I still want to finish our conversation."

Nadine looked down and then nodded. "Just making coffee, I promise." She looked up and met Chloe's eyes. Her smile was a bit infectious and Nadine found herself unable to keep her grin from peeking out. 

Chloe seemed satisfied as her smile grew wider. "Can I have some tea please?" They both knew she didn't even need to ask, but perhaps she just wanted to hear Nadine's customary "Ja" in response as she headed out of the bedroom.

"Sorry about that," she spoke into the phone. "Now, where were we?" 

"You were about to tell me about Myanmar, but I can call back. Like I said, you're alive, so Sam will be relieved."

"Ha! I'm sure relieved is the word."

"I'm serious. He swore Nadine was going to leave you in a tomb or some nonsense."

Chloe could tell Elena was rolling her eyes. "He's a right bastard for that one." She sucked her tooth in a slight show of annoyance. "And besides, he knows better." She ran a hand through her hair. "Anyway, if it wasn't for Nadine I'd be dead at the bottom of chasm."

"Christ, Chloe! Well, at least tell me it was worth it?"

Without hesitation, a slow smug smirk appeared on Chloe's face. "Oh, it was definitely worth it." She made eye contact with Nadine and the other woman stopped in her tracks, just as she entered the bedroom with two steaming mugs. "I mean, sure I've got a sprained ankle and broken foot, but I'm definitely not disappointed in the haul." She winked at Nadine, who just bit the inside of her cheek and looked away self-consciously. 

"Chloe!", Elena admonished. "What is it with you and Nate and climbing without gear?"

The woman in question kept her eyes on Nadine, as she sat down a mug of tea on the side table next to Chloe and then proceeded to walk to the unoccupied side of the bed to sit down. She placed her black coffee with two sugars on the side table and sat down on the bed with her legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles, with her back against the quilted headboard. 

She mouthed "thank you" in Nadine's direction before answering Elena. "We use equipment."

Nadine chuckled. She knew exactly the route their conversation had taken. "No, she doesn't," she called out.

Chloe opened her mouth, aghast and glared with mock-indignation at Nadine. "Traitor." Nadine just shrugged and sipped at her coffee. Elena's laughter came through the phone.

"Oh, yeah, I like her." 

"Well, tough break sunshine, she's mine." She blew a kiss in Nadine's direction and was pleased to see that the other woman had her brown eyes wide open in wonder. Brown eyes shifted before finally meeting Chloe's eyes. As always, gray eyes worked to settle Nadine's anxiousness and they shared a smile. 

"No worries, I think Nate would go off the deep-end for sure. Anyway, glad to hear you're okay and well, I kind of need your help with something."

"I'm listening, but hey, if it involves climbing, running, shooting, and the like then I might have a problem." She sipped her tea and smiled dreamily at Nadine in gratitude.

"What it if involves dress up?"

"Still intrigued I'm sure I can figure out a way to accessorize my lovely ACE bandage." Brown eyes tracked to Chloe's ankle and Nadine cut curious eyes in Chloe's direction. "So, what's the gig?"

"I'm in London tomorrow supposedly meeting with a Hoysala expert. My company wants to film a documentary and some guy named Aiden Grosenover says he's the man to see." 

Chloe put her mug down. "You know, not to sing my own praises or anything, but I feel like I'm a pretty good expert on all that Hoysala stuff." She didn't even have to look to her left to know that Nadine was smirking at her.

"Which is precisely why I'm calling you. So, who the heck is this Grosenover guy? And if he's nobody then how does he have artifacts? I thought the Ministry of Culture was running things."

Chloe groaned and rubbed at her neck with her free hand. "Those sights are huge, Elena. I'm sure the Ministry can't cover everything." She sighed and met Nadine's concerned look with one of her own. "On the other hand, he could also be a fraud."

"Which is why I need you." 

Chloe tapped a finger against her lip in thought before responding. "Perhaps a little High Tea and a meeting of the minds?"

Before Elena could respond, Nadine's crisp request filled the room. "Stall him for a day. And we pick the place." 

A pleasant shiver zoomed up Chloe's spine as she watched Nadine get into the rhythm of planning. Nadine had retrieved her laptop and had it opened and booting up before either of the other two women thought to answer back. 

"Does that work for you?", Chloe asked. She kept proud eyes focused on Nadine as her nimble fingers moved rapidly across the keyboard. 

"That - that sounds good to me."

"Perfect. Call me when you get in and we'll go over logistics. And I promise I'll charge my phone." 

"No need now. I know just how to find you." This time the innuendo was loud and clear.

Chloe chuckled as she felt a faint heat spread across her cheeks. "I'll be sure to tell her that." She glanced over at the woman who was focused on the screen in front her and using the touch screen to enlarge a blueprint.

"You do that. And you know, you and I are going to have a talk right?"

Her response was to groan but she really didn't mean it, in fact, Chloe was nearly desperate to talk to someone she trusted about Nadine. "Fine. Fine. Just call." She ended the call and collapsed back against the headboard. The room grew silent with only Nadine's keystrokes for a soundtrack. 

Chloe just sipped at her tea for a quiet moment. "You having a brainstorm there?" When Nadine, didn't answer on account of her focus on the screen, Chloe put her mug down and inched closer to the other woman. She leaned close to Nadine's shoulder and she could see a street map. Still no answer. Finally, Chloe leaned in a pressed a soft kiss mostly to Nadine's cheek and the corner of her mouth.

Nimble brown fingers froze on the keyboard. "C-Can I help you?" A quiver of excitement made her voice tremble slightly.

The catch in the other woman's voice did not go unnoticed by Chloe. "As interested as I am in watching you plan," she reached out and ran her index finger along the back of Nadine's hand while she spoke. "I'd much rather finish the conversation we were about to have." Chloe waited and watched as Nadine took her hands from the keyboard and placed them on her knees. As always with the former mercenary, Chloe realized she was going to have to push just a little bit to get the often reticent woman to lay bare her truth. More often than not, Nadine found a way to do with actions what she was reluctant to do with words, and Chloe had fast become addicted to those small allowances made only for her. 

Chloe reached out and closed the laptop. "Now, you have to talk to me." She touched her fingertip to Nadine's chin and the woman responded by finally tuning her head in Chloe's direction. 

"For the record, I'm not ignoring you." She shrugged. "Just thinking."

"Ah, yes." Chloe traced an imaginary line from Nadine's temple down to her chin. "I can practically see your synapses firing." Chloe was rewarded with a small grin. "So, do I get to know what's going on in there?" She caught the path of brown eyes as they focused first on the closed laptop and then back on gray eyes. 

"Just thinking about what you said before. About being scared." Nadine looked down and emitted a small sigh that she hadn't meant to let go. She moved the laptop off the side and stretched out her legs. "It just made me think that, well, maybe this is a ba- Chloe's fingers pressed against her lips.

"No way, china. Don’t even say it. The only bad idea here will be the one where you don't kiss me in the next 2 sec-

The statement went unfinished, as she was pleasantly surprised to feel the warm press of Nadine's lips against her own. Impossibly soft was the only coherent thought in Chloe's head as she allowed herself to sink into the feel and taste of the other woman. In a surprise to herself, Chloe put up no resistance as Nadine controlled the gentle and exploratory pace of their first kisses. Chloe relished the feel of the soft kisses, first to her top lip, then to her bottom lip. So, lost in the coffee and sandalwood taste and smell of Nadine, that Chloe could only whimper in response to Nadine threading her fingers through long jet black hair and guiding Chloe onto her back. 

A muscled thigh slotted perfectly between Chloe's legs, as she wound her arms around Nadine's back and neck, and pressed the magnificent weight of the other woman to her. As they shifted, Nadine's kisses became more insistent and the welcome intrusion of her tongue made Chloe lose all sense of time and space. Despite years filled with training, grappling, and fighting, Nadine's hands were smooth and soft to the touch. The pads of her fingertips drifted across Chloe's cheeks as their kisses grew deep and more feverish. They both needed to breath, but the sensation of lips on skin was too tempting to stop, even for necessities. Nadine tore her mouth away from Chloe's kiss-swollen lips only to press teeth and tongue first to an earlobe, and then her jaw, and next to the jumping pulse in her neck. Chloe couldn't help but cry out as teeth scraped across her sensitive flesh. Blunt nails dug into the solid muscle of Nadine's shoulders and it garnered a hiss of surprise or better yet approval, as the look on her face suggested.

The pressure against her shoulder blades caused Nadine to raise her head and stop her ministrations on Chloe's neck. A dark eyebrow rose in challenge and Chloe merely licked her lips and pulled her back down. It was clear that Chloe was finished with following Nadine's lead, once she arched up into the other woman and started a rhythm that they both knew rather well. Soon the only sound that filled the room were Chloe's heady moans and Nadine's whimpers, punctuated by the wet echo of open mouth kisses. Hands roamed, hips rocked, and in a rush of adrenaline and arousal Chloe planted her foot and attempted to roll them left. 

A howl of pain was loosed from Chloe's throat and she shoved against Nadine's shoulders, as an unearthly searing pain ripped up her leg. "Motherfucker!"

Nadine sprang up to her knees, still straddling Chloe's thigh and quickly realized what had happened. Chloe sucked in a breath and pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes as they filled with reflexive tears. Nadine's shoulders sagged and she could only cringe in empathy as she waited for the pain to subside. Brown eyes scanned her wrapped ankle and saw that at least nothing looked out of place; however, from the shallow breaths her partner was still taking, she knew she was still in a considerable amount of pain. 

"Hey, Frazer." She reached out hesitant fingers to touch the other woman's wrist. "Chloe, look at me." Fingers wrapped around a slender wrist and gently pulled Chloe's hands away from her face. "You still with me?' Nadine grimaced.

She sniffed and wiped at a stray tear. "Way to kill the mood, huh." Both women laughed despite the obvious discomfort. 

"How about I go and get your pills?" Nadine wiped an errant tear from Chloe's cheek with her thumb. 

"No, no, no." Chloe grabbed Nadine's hand and tugged. "Just stay here, please. Lie back down. I'm fine, I swear." She closed her eyes tight and let out a shaky breath.

Nadine cut her eyes at Chloe in a show of disbelief. "Right." The bed dipped as Nadine made to move, only to be stopped by Chloe's firm hand on her hip.

"Just stay." She opened her eyes wide and met Nadine's eyes. "Just for a minute."

Nadine let out a quiet grunt of disapproval, but she moved and stretched out alongside Chloe. "One minute Frazer, then I'm getting the pills."

"Yup." Chloe drew in a deep cleansing breath and exhaled. "How do you say for fucksake again?" She turned her head in Nadine's direction.

With a grin, she responded, _"fokenwil." ___

____

____

"Yep. _Fokenwil_." Chloe chuckled and then reached over and entwined her fingers with the fingers of Nadine's left hand before pulling their joined hands to rest on her stomach. 

"Well, the doctor did say that you were nearly one inch removed from having to get surgery." Nadine propped her head up on her right arm. "Which means you need to rest and take it easy." She watched as Chloe's breathing settled. 

"Define rest?" A teasing grin pulled at the corner of her mouth. 

Nadine rolled her eyes. "You're insatiable and stubborn."

"Oh, you have no idea how much, Nadine Ross." Her tiny grin became a confident and smug smirk. "And believe me, you're going to find out very soon." She licked her lips and then winked.

A laugh bubbled up from Nadine's throat. "Promises, promises. But until then, I'm going to go get your pills."

A groan was her reply. "This is so not fair, you do realize that, right?" She stuck her bottom lip out to illustrate her frustration. 

"Cute." Nadine leaned down and peppered Chloe's cheeks, nose, and protruding bottom lip with kisses before letting go of her hand and sitting up. Nadine shuffled towards the edge of the bed and let her feet hit the floor before looking back at Chloe. Her face was still flushed and her hair was pleasantly out of place. "So, eh, we're okay?" Brown eyes looked down and away before looking up.

Chloe sat up and reclined back on her elbows while tilting her head in consternation at Nadine's query. Briefly, Chloe was bewildered at the other woman's question, but upon meeting Nadine's eyes she understood that it was just her way of examining all the angles. Chloe's reputation might as well have been a Time's Square billboard and while she certainly wasn't ashamed at how she lived her life, she knew this thing with Nadine was going to require her to do the things that sometimes didn't come naturally to her; namely, she needed to be honest. 

Chloe tabled the snarky remark on her tongue and instead relaxed her eyebrows and looked at Nadine with sincerity in her eyes. "Okay? We're more than okay." She waited a bit and Nadine held her gaze. "I may not be used to this feeling, but it feels too damn good to walk away from. Is that okay with you?"

A slow smile spread across Nadine's lips. "Ja, it is." She placed her hand on Chloe's uninjured ankle and squeezed. "Just," she started. "Just one rule." Chloe nodded. "Just tell me the truth no matter what, okay?"

Chloe smiled before sitting up fully. She crooked a finger at Nadine, beckoning her to come closer. 

After standing and moving to Chloe’s side of the bed, Nadine leaned forward, bracing on her outstretched arms. They were nose to nose, but not quite touching. 

Not that it was necessary, seeing how Nadine was already close, Chloe grabbed a fistful of Nadine's tank top and pulled her as close as she could without actually touching their lips together. "You don't shut me out and we've got a deal, partner."

This time it was Nadine who wore a cocksure grin. She closed the sliver of a gap between them and met Chloe's lips with her own in a kiss that was neither rushed or nor frantic. It was a patient and almost leisurely kiss that belied its simmering heat. Nadine sucked at Chloe's bottom lip before pulling back with a soft 'pop' of sound. 

Decidedly dazed, Chloe opened her eyes with all the speed of sloth on the move. She hummed her approval as Nadine finally stood up straight. "Oh, that's really not fair." All she got was Nadine's light laughter in response as she headed towards the doorway. "Just for that I want some more tea. And with lots of lemon and honey this time." She folded her arms behind her head and leaned back against the headboard. "And possibly some whiskey," she added mostly to herself. 

Nadine stopped in the doorway and looked over her shoulder. "I heard that Frazer. Not a chance. We’ve got planning to do." 

The pillow that sailed towards the doorway landed harmlessly on the ground. "You're no fun, Ross!" She called out, knowing her voice would carry into the hallway. 

The echo of Nadine’s chuckle bounced off the walls in the corridor and Chloe settled back into her pillows with a nearly triumphant grin on her face. Finally, with a dramatic sigh she reached over and pulled the laptop closer. A deep breath expanded her chest as the computer booted up and Chloe could feel the fear from earlier beginning to ebb. Admittedly, that fear was replaced with a bit of anxiety, but she could handle worry and nerves. Granted, it was usually with alcohol and an impromptu adventure, but something told her that Nadine would be more than willing to teach her a few lessons in practicality. And while Chloe couldn’t promise that she’d always be the best student, she knew damn sure, that though she might lack discipline, Nadine would never doubt her effort.

_Fade out…_


End file.
